Endicott takes game one, falls in second to Diplomats

March 19, 2009

Box Score - Game One / Box Score - Game Two

WINTER HAVEN, Fla. - Roberto Zapata (Boston, Mass.) went 2-for-4 and drove in three runs to help Endicott to a 7-5 win in game one of a double-header against Franklin & Marshall on Thursday afternoon in Winter Haven, Fla. The Diplomats took the nightcap with a 10-9 win powered by six RBIs from catcher Russell Tischler (Potomac, Md.).

In game one, Endicott quickly fell behind by a run as the Diplomats capitalized on a Gulls' fielding error. However, the Blue and Green responded with a three-run third as Zapata laced a two-RBI double, scoring Christopher Dominguez (Braintree, Mass.) and Andrew Betts (Bristol, Conn.) to give EC a 3-1 lead.

The two sides would each score three runs apiece in the fourth, and then they traded runs in fifth. The two run advantage proved to be enough for Endicott's Dave Weinreich (Milford, Conn.) as he notched his second save of the season, shutting the door on the Diplomats with an inning and a third of near perfect work.

In the back end of the double-header, Franklin & Marshall edged the Gulls in an offensive shootout, 10-9. The Diplomats scored two runs in both the second and third innings, and then hung a four spot in the fourth. Russell Tischler bombed a three-run homerun in the fourth, which served as the eventual game-winning runs.

Endicott's Michael Drinkwater (Hamilton, Mass.) took the loss as he was roughed up for eight runs on nine hits in 3.2 innings. F&M's Chris Miller (Rumson, N.J.) notched the save as he halted an Endicott comeback attempt in the ninth.

The Gulls (3-5) wrap up their Florida trip on Friday afternoon as they entertain UMass-Dartmouth in a double-header scheduled for a 2:30 p.m. start.